The best Alaska cruise for every type of traveler
If you're looking for other surefire ways to save, inside and ocean-view cabins are often much cheaper than balcony cabins on Alaska cruises. Those private verandas are highly desirable, with everyone seeking views of the wilderness, snow-capped peaks and glaciers. I’m a Florida-based freelance travel and lifestyle journalist who has embarked on more than a dozen cruises, including several to Alaska. As a traveler, I am just as comfortable bicycling through Italian olive groves and SCUBA diving the wall of sharks in French Polynesia as I am sipping bubbles in a Champagne house and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site.
Request a complimentary brochure
Other Alaska cruise highlights include Juneau; remote Ketchikan, and historic Skagway. Dig a little deeper and discover an Alaska that is much more than just Gold Rush and glaciers. Bargain seekers should either book early for these accommodations or choose inside, outside or guarantee cabins (where you don't pick your room location) to save more.
Featured Alaska Cruises
While we don’t cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Viking Orion is offering 10-night 2024 Alaskan voyages between Vancouver and Seward from May until early September 2024. Fares for this July 3, 2024, Vancouver to Seward 10-night sail start at $6,999 per person. Dining on board is major; all five restaurants excel and are included in the fare (even the fanciest dishes, like prime dry-aged Angus steak and Maine lobster).
Alaska Cruises
What's the Best Cruise Line for Alaska? - Cruise Hive
What's the Best Cruise Line for Alaska?.
Posted: Thu, 29 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
To complete the luxury experience, book at least a concierge-level veranda (to add free laundry service, cashmere lap blankets, priority boarding and more to your list of perks). Silver Nova is offering weeklong cruises, sailing between Vancouver and Seward from May through mid-September 2024. Alaska cruises typically draw fewer children than Caribbean sailings; luxury Alaska cruises draw even fewer. Luxury ships are also able to get closer to glaciers than their mainstream counterparts, visiting the rarely-seen North and South Sawyer Glaciers at the end of Tracy Arm Fjord, for example. From Juneau, you can take an excursion to Mendenhall Glacier, where you can see fantastic views of the ice on a hike or join a kayak tour.
These riveting outings transport you far from crowded ports and touristy shops to pristine forests and lakes or to bucket-list adventures like dog-mushing, glacier-trekking and bear-viewing. Of course, the cost is folded into a luxury cruise's higher prices, but you'll likely see and experience far more when the activities are included in your fare. Alaskan-owned and -operated Alaskan Dream Cruises dates back to 1970 when its parent company, Allen Marine, founded by Bob and Betty Allen, launched with the St. Michael.
Best Small Ship Alaska Cruise: Alaskan Dream Cruises, Chichagof Dream
Alaska has become a hot spot for multigenerational family travel, with grandparents taking their kids and grandkids of all ages on a memory-making holiday. Princess Cruises is a line that offers something for everyone, and its Alaska-based Discovery Princess is our top choice for family reunion groups. It can be hard to figure out which cruise ship will deliver your idea of a "bucket list" experience in The Last Frontier.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
The best news, though, is that the similar final cost across the options means no one should rule out the possibility of stepping up to a premium or luxury Alaska cruise.
Some small ship cruises in Alaska offer additional options for a high-end Alaska cruise with lots of inclusions. Ponant and Hurtigruten offer expedition-style luxury while American Cruise Lines brings relaxed luxury and spaciousness to coastal Alaska cruising. Cunard Line offers primarily mainstream accommodations, but its Princess Grill and Queen's Grill suites are worthy competitors to any luxury vessel, with private dining rooms, lounges and deck spaces. While Seabourn's Ventures by Seabourn expedition excursions come at an added cost, they take passengers deeper into the real Alaska than many of their contemporaries. Celebrity’s Alaskan cruises range from six to seven nights, but if you extend your voyage into a Cruisetour, the duration is nine to 13 nights. You could also consider extending your vacation with a night or two in either Vancouver or Seattle, depending on which itinerary you have chosen.
Life aboard Alaskan Dream Cruises’ five ships is casual and relaxed, meals feature fresh Alaskan fare, and everyone strives to provide opportunities for guests to make personal connections to the region’s places and people. Enjoy all Alaska has to offer without breaking the bank when you set sail with Royal Caribbean, which boasts a 28-ship fleet that sails to Alaska on 59 different itineraries, ranging from six to 13 nights, ensuring an itinerary that’s just right for you. Make the most of your cruise by keeping an eye out for pop-up sales that can save you even more money—you can even use those savings to indulge in a pre- or post-cruise tour.
If you’re planning a bucket list trip, we’ve selected the best Alaska cruises for every type of travel style in 2024, from the adventure-focused to the super luxurious. Viking Orion's 10-night cruise between Vancouver and Seward includes scenic sailing of the Inside Passage and Yakutat Bay and a stop at rarely visited Valdez. There, enticing shore excursions include kayaking by Valdez Glacier; flying over glaciers, searching for wildlife in a helicopter; and a UTV (utility terrain vehicle, larger than an ATV) adventure through the Chugach Mountains to the Mineral Creek Canyon.
Guests learn about the cultural heritage of remote communities and focus binoculars to spot bears, whales, caribou, moose, deer, wolves, birds and more. The MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen embark on 14- to 19-day Alaskan voyages between May and September. Nicknamed “The Love Boat,” Princess Cruises has been sailing to Alaska for more than 50 years, and is a terrific choice for couples looking to get away from it all. While onboard, Princess immerses its guests into the sites, sounds, tastes and history of the 49th state through its award-winning North to Alaska programming.
While considered an upper-premium line, Oceania Cruises recently unveiled a novel program called simply MORE, adding many inclusions to standard fares, such as round-trip airfare, airport transfers, most alcohol and a $600 shore excursion credit per passenger. Holland America Line and Princess Cruises are regarded as the Alaska cruise experts, with the most ships in the region and years of experience under their belts. Holland America's suite occupants get perks like exclusive breakfasts in the Pinnacle Grill, free laundry and dry cleaning, priority boarding for tenders and access to the private Neptune Lounge that stocks snacks throughout the day. Although several luxury lines sail in Alaska, they don't always offer consistent voyages in the region.
Due to Alaska's amazing scenery and climate, the region brings with it some of the most expensive shore excursion options. These include flightseeing and heli-hiking, which takes passengers hiking on glaciers or tundra via helicopter. Ovation of the Seas sails round-trip from Seattle on seven-night cruises, but the exact itinerary varies by week. The ship cruises Endicott Arm for scenic views of Dawes Glacier and typically visits three Alaska ports and Victoria.
Head deep into the wilderness of Denali, immerse yourself in the exciting contemporary culture of Anchorage, and spend time in quirky, arty Talkeetna. Vast, creaking blue-white glaciers inch their way to the sea as jagged, snow-capped mountain peaks pierce the sky. Bears prowl rock-strewn beaches, while salmon-laden rivers rush through pristine, old-growth forest, bald eagles perched watchfully in the treetops. Let Celebrity take you to some of Alaska’s most exciting ports, whether your dream is to get close to breaching humpbacks on a whale-watching adventure or follow the treacherous trail of early gold prospectors over the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. Sail the Inside Passage, watching for bears foraging on stony beaches, or gaze in wonder at the towering, blue-white wall of the mighty Hubbard Glacier.
Comments
Post a Comment